Rotary engine.



R. WALL. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED H33. 21, 1910.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

A TTORNE Y. I

R. WALL.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1910.

Patented' Oct. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JNVENQTOR. Robert Wall wlmwsazvs: I I i/ wqm L E- EJ' byg v I IATTORNEY.

ROBERT WALL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed February 21, 1910. Serial No. 545,143.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT WALL, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in rotary engines; and itconsists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth inthe specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical end section on the plane ofdivision between the cylinder body and face plate thereof on the line 11of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a section taken on the line 3 of Fig. 2 between the cylinder andthe rotating disk mounted adjacent thereto; Fig. l is a sectional detailon the line 4 -l of Fig. 5 taken through one of the crank-arms attachedto the hingeaxis or pintle of piston-blade, the clutch or gripper beingomitted; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on line 55 of Fig. 3, showing thecrankarm with clutch or gripper in position; Fig. 6 is a top plan of theexhaustvalve and portion of the steam-pipe surmounting the same; Fig. 7is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6, with a section of the elbow ofthe steam-pipe not shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective of theassembled piston-blades, detached; and Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, arediagrammatic views illustrating four successive stages in a singlerevolution of a piston-blade.

In its simplest form, the present invention contemplates a cylinderprovided with a pair of piston-blades mounted in hinged relation aboutthe cylinder axis, a rotation being imparted to one piston ata time, theopposite piston for the time being remaining stationary and serving asan abutment for the motor-fluid delivered into the cylinder between thepistons which are kept normally at a slight divergence or angle at thebeginning of each rotation or stroke. From these successively rotatingpistons rotation is imparted to any suitable rotatable member, pulley,or the like.

The objects of the invention as just outlined, and to be moreparticularly described later on, are (1) to dispense with the use ofcranks, (2) to provide a direct rotary motion to the member intended totransmit the power, (3) to provide a construction which will permit anexpansion of the motor-fluid for a full rotation of the piston, (4) toeliminate jarring, (5) to provide a simple construction of engine, (6)to efiect a saving of the motor-fluid, (7 to produce an engine whichshall be light and compact, (8) to economize space, (9) to make anengine which will be certain and positive in action and capable ofvariation in speed.

The invention possesses further and other advantages better apparentfrom a detailed description thereof, which is as follows Referring tothe drawings, C represents a stationary cylinder of conventional formand construction, in which are confined two pistons or blades P, P,mounted in hinged relation to one another along the axis of thecylinder. The preferred construction for hinging the blades together isas shown in the drawings, one of the blades terminating in a series ofloops 1, 1, recessed or slit at the bases, as shown at r, the oppositeblade being provided with a cylindrical enlargement or pintle 2 which isinserted through the loops, the widths of the recesses 7 beingsufiicient to allow for the free passage of the blade therethrough. Theterminal loops 1, 1, are then mounted in the end walls or heads of thecylinder as shown. This form of hinge is well known in the art, no claimbeing made thereto, except that in the present instance one of the loops1 and one end of the pintle 2 are extended somewhat beyond the cylinderhead for a purpose to presently appear.

Near the bases of the blades are disposed the wedge-shaped ribs 3, 3(which may or may not be continuous throughout the width of the blade)which, when the blades come together keep the blades at a slightdivergence or at angle to one another (Fig. 1) the space thus formedbetween the blades being that into which the motor-fluid (steam, gas,compressed air, water and the like, though the present engineisspecially designed for steam) is conducted for imparting rotation tothe pistons. The motorfluid enters through the supply-pipe 4 which faceof the flange 12.

taps the cylinder at the periphery (though it may tap it on the side), agate-valve 5 cutting off the supply during the interval of exhaust aspresently to be described. The gate-valve ,is in the form of aprojecting wing carried by or forming a part of a reciprocating exhaustvalve (3, the latter being provided on its under face with a series (oneor more) of inclined or triangular ribs (0, a, over which the bladestravel thereby forcing the valve upwardly or to an open position. Themoment a blade has passed the valve the latter returns to closedposition, the bases of the triangular ribs forming abutinents orarresting devices against a rotation of the blade in the oppositedirection. The valve 6 is forced to its closed position by compressionsprings 7 interposed between it and the angle brackets 8 overhanging thevalve, the latter being guided in its movements by the lugs 9, S)projecting from the cylinder wall on either side of the valve, and bythe guide stems s encircled by the springs 7 and loosely operatingthrough the brackets 8. hen the exhaust valve is fully open, it forcesthe wing 5 across the passage of the suppl pipe & thus cutting oif thesupply of the motor-fluid during the period of exhaust.

Disposed adjacent to, and in the line of the axis of the cylinder is astationary axle or bearing .10 about which is free to rotate a disk 11provided with a peripheral flange 12, the member 11 and its flange 12thus in effect forming a pulley from which, power may be transmitted inany way known to the art. If desirable, the outer face of the flange 12might be geared and the power be transmitted to a second gear and so on.No claim is made however, to any method or means of transmission as itcan be accomplished in a variety of ways. Into the space within theflange 12 projects the extended terminal loop 1 of one of the blades,and the extension of the pintle 2 of the opposite blade, the pintleextending to a point contiguous to the end of the bearing 10. Theseprojecting ends respectively carry the crankarms 18, (though crank diskswould be full equivalents) terminating in cross-arms 1 L, 1ft. At thebases of the crossarms are formed pairs of cars or lugs 15, 15, providedwith opposite inwardly curved rib formations or guides 16, 16, forminggrooves g, which receive the ends of the guide-pin 17 carried at thecenter of the bowed and tapering gripper member or clutch 18 operatingbetween the lugs, the sharp edges of the clutch engaging the inner(roughened) sur- The engagement is assured and emphasized by thecompression springs 19 interposed between the cross-arms 14, 1 1, andthe adjacent portions of the clutches. The depth of the groove 9 betweenthe ribs 16 is sufficient to allow for a slight oscillation of theclutch about one end or edge as a fulcrum, a feature availed of aspresently to be seen. The rear end of each clutch or gripper 18 (that isto say the end which is in the rear for a rotation of the crank-arm 13or its blade 1, in a given direction) terminates in a lateral offset oring 20, a tappet or tripping pin 21 being in the path of travel of theoffset identified with the clutch carried by the crank-arm secured tothe loop 1, and a tappet or finger 21 at the end of an arm or rod 22secured to the end of the axle or bearing 10 being in the path of travelof the offset of the other clutch member. These tripping devices ortappets are so located that they trip the clutches of the piston-bladesas the latter reach the ends of their respective rotations.

The operation of the engine may be best described in connection with thediagrammatic views shown in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, and Fig. Let usassume (Fig. 9) that the piston-blades are at their initial position,the gate-valve 5 being open and the exhaust-valve 6 closed. Themotor-fluid enters the space between the two diverging blades, one ofthe blades being locked against rotation by the bases of the wedges orribs a, (1, thereby forming an abutment for the fluid which thus drivesthe other blade forward as shown by the arrows in the figures referredto. The revolving blade continues in its rotation until the rib 3thereof impinges against the corresponding rib of the stationary blade(Fig. 10), the impact due to the momentum, dislodging said stationaryblade (Fig. 11) the revolving blade continuing in the same direction,and the motor-fluid raising the exhaustvalve 6 and escaping into theatmosphere. \Vith the raising or unseating of the exhaust valve, thegate-valve or wing 5 is moved across the passage of the supply-pipe l,so that during the interval of exhaust no live steam or othermotor-fluid can enter the space between the blades. It may be stated inpassing that the opening of the exhaust valve does not depend on theedge of the blade passing under the wedges a, a, such opening beingeffected by the pressure of the motor-fluid without the assistance ofthe blade. The only time the blade mecl1ani cally opens the valve iswhen there is no steam in the cylinder, or after the steam has been cutoil entirely at the throttle and the engine is running by its ownmomentum only. The moment the revolving blade has passed off the edgesof the ribs a, a (Fig. 12) the exhaust valve under the action of thesprings T is forced to closed position by which time the blade is nowlocked against a reverse rotation, the gate-valve opened, and themotor-fluid nowagain enters between the blades driving before it thesec- 0nd blade which in its turn displaces the first blade and so theoperation goes on continuously. As each blade revolves it carries itscrank-arm 13 around with it, and the gripper or clutch 18 at the freeend of the arm seizes the flange 12 of the disk 11, and thus rotates thelatter about the axle or bear ing 10. Since however, both ends of theclutch grip into the flange 12 during the driving operation, it followsthat some provision must be made to release one of the ends of suchclutch when its particular blade comes to a rest; otherwise while oneclutch would tend to drive the disk 11, the other would simply hold orgrip it against rotation. So that, as a blade comes to its position ofrest the tappet 21 (21) by striking the offset 20 of the clutchoscillates the latter about the forward end as a fulcrum sufliciently torelease the opposite or rear end of the clutch from its grip on theflange 12, the latter slipping or sliding along the still engaging endwhile rotating under the impelling action of the clutch of the revolvingblade. Of course, the moment the temporarily stationary blade isdislodged from its position of rest under the impact of the revolvingblade, the ofiset 20 slips ofi the tappet 21 (21) by which time theclutch of the impinging blade (which now becomes the stationary blade)is disengaged. The moment the tilted end of the clutch has slipped offits tappet or pin (21, 21) both ends of the clutch become available forseizing the flange 12 and imparting rotation to the member 11. Itfollows therefore, that first one blade drives the disk 11, and then theother blade does the driving, the clutch of the blade which istemporarily at rest releasing its grip on the flange 12.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a rotary engine, acylinder, a pair of piston-blades successively rotating within thecylinder about a fixed axis, an exhaust valve on the cylinder mounted inthe path of travel of the blades, and means on the valve for holding oneof the blades at rest while the other blade is rotating.

2. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a pair of piston-blades successivelyrotating within the cylinder about the axis thereof, an exhaust valvemounted in the path of travel of the blades and opening at the end of arotation for each blade, a conduit for delivering the motor-fluid intothe cylinder, and means controlled by the opening movement of theexhaust valve for cutting off the supply of the motor-fluid.

3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder provided with a pair of axiallymounted normally diverging successively rotatable pistonblades, meansfor conducting the motorfluid to the space between the blades, anexhaust valve on the cylinder mounted in the path of travel of theblades, means 011 the valve for holding one of the blades stationaryduring the travel of the other blade, and a valve controlled by theexhaust-valve for cutting off the supply of the motor-fluid during theperiod of exhaust.

1. In combination with a cylinder provided with a pair of rotatablepiston-blades following each other in succession around the axis of thecylinder, a rotatable member disposed about the said axis on the outsideof the cylinder, and clutches coupled to the respective blades anddisposed at equal distances from the common axis there of andsuccessively rotating said member with the successive rotations of saidblades. 5. In combination with a cylinder provided with a pair ofrotatable piston-blades following each other in succession around theaxis of the cylinder, a rotatable member disposed about said axis on theoutside of the cylinder, clutches coupled to the re spective blades anddisposed at equal distances from the common axis thereof for engagingsaid member and driving the same with the rotation of the blades, meansfor holding one of the blades stationary during a rotation of the otherblade, and means for disengaging the clutch of the stationary blade fromthe rotatable member aforesaid.

6. I11 a rotary engine, a cylinder, a pair of piston-blades mounted inhinged relation about the cylinder axis, an exhaust valve on thecylinder mounted in the path of travel of the outer ends of the bladesand adapted to be unseated by the blade, means for restoring the valveto its position behind the blade after the latter has passed the valve,the valve having a formation preventing a rotation of the blade in anopposite direction, means on the blades for maintaining them at aminimum divergence or angular separation upon the completion of arotation of a blade, thereby leaving a chamber between the blades forthe admission of the motor-fluid, and means for conducting said fluid tothe chamber.

7. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a pair of piston-blades mounted inhinged relation about the cylinder axis, hinge-extensions leading fromthe blades outside the cylinder head, a rotatable member provided withan annular rim mounted about the extension of the cylinder axis adjacentto the cylinder head, clutches coupled to the hinge-extensions of theblades and engaging the inner surface of the rim at two points, andcapable of a limited oscillation about one point as a fulcrum, andtappets for disengaging one end of each clutch at the completion of arotation of a blade, the blades making each a complete revolution andcoming to a stop successively one after the other.

8. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a pair of piston-blades successivelyrotating Within, the cylinder about the axis thereof, means for holdingone of the blades stationary during a single rotation of the otherblade, a rotatable flanged wheel mounted outside the cylinder, andsuitable clutches rotated by the blades and adapted to successivelyengage the flange of the Wheel and impart 1O rotations thereto, andmeans for sufficiently disengaging the clutch identified with the bladewhich is at rest, to prevent interfer ence thereby With the drivingaction of the clutch of the revolving blade.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, 15 in presence of twoWitnesses.

ROBERT ALL. lVitn esses EMIL STAREK, FANNIE E. TEBER.

